Friday, May 29, 2015

Siverbeet with feta and pine nuts

get
1 large bunch of silverbeet (chard, perpetual spinach)
1 large red onion
4 tbsp olive oil
goats milk feta
1 cup of pine nuts
All organic

do
Heat olive oil in a large lidded pan.
Peel and chop the onion. Fry in the oil for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile clean the silver beet and dry it. Separate main stems from green leaves.(The stems can be white, red or yellow). Chop the stems and mix into the onion. Fry for a further 5 minutes. Shred the leaves and add to the pot. Simmer with the lid on for another 10 to 15 minutes. The silverbeet should be soft and wilted and change to a dark green colour. Any liquid should have disappeared.

Roast pine nuts in a dry pan.

Serve with feta cubes and sprinkle with pine nuts.
When purchasing vegetables tied with rubber bands, take care of them as the plastic debris is often mistaken for earthworms by storks (pdf), ibises, spoonbills and other birds.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Baked Rice Pudding with Pear Compote

GET
1 l milk
250 g rice, round/brown
1 cup of currants or raisins
Some lemon juice
1 vanilla bean
50 g agave syrup
1 pinch of salt
2 Tsp butter
A pinch of cinnamon

6 ripe pears
agave syrup as required
½ cup filtered water
all organic

DO
Rinse the raisins with hot water, then soak in lemon juice and some water.
Wash the rice, heat the milk and add the rice. When it boils, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 min. Take pot from stove and let it stand covered for 15 min.
Add the remaining butter, salt, scraped-out vanilla and the soaked and drained raisins and stir.
Coat the baking dish with some butter and preheat the oven to 200°
Place mixture in the baking dish, sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon and a some of butter. Cook until the crust is golden. Serve hot or cold with pear compote or apple compote.


No Spotted Dick Please, We're British
In England the Spotted Dick is a pudding containing suet and currants or raisins. But rice pudding is enjoyed by many other cultures around the world, even without the kidney fat.

Pear compote

Peel and core pears. Slice into a cooking pot. Add boiling water. Cover. Bring to boil and simmer for a few minutes. Mix in agave syrup while still warm.